my initial impression's

from Sins Forums

I was a bit bored last night and decided i needed a new game , i remembered reading in Pc gamer that this game was good , so i noticed you could buy and download it , so being impatient for a new game i went ahead .

1) downloading it - This was hassle free and very quick , clear easy to follow instructions , within 25 minutes off deciding to buy it it was downloaded and installed and ready to play , i was pleasantly surprised.

2) tutorials - was very impressed with them , i didnt have a manual so i was relying on them . They were easy to follow and i felt helped me play my first game fairly competently .

3) interface - personally i love the interface , i thought as it was a small company (to my knowledge) it would be all very amatuerish , but i was again pleasantly surprised , everything seemed fairly easy to use.

4) graphics - These were much better than i expected , very polished with alot off nice little touches , i really wasnt caring to much about the graphics as long as the game was good , but it's nice to have both :) , so far it's all ran very smoothly , which was my main priority.

5) gameplay - Been enjoying it alot , i usually prefer turn based for strategy games , as i like to have a think and not be rushed , but i think this game got it spot on with the speed it progresses , and i love the fact you can pause it and have a think and issue orders , thats something i couldn't do without , at least while learning. I like as well how the game world is 2D , makes things easier to keeep tack off. Another thing that stands out is how everything is almost automatic i.e ships fight on there own , builders build etc . And being able to do alot of things just by clicking on the planet itself is great .

6) Things i don't like - not much to be honest at the moment . The fact battles are very static is a bit dissapionting , would be nice to see ships zipping around and everything being a bit more lively . Diplomacy as well could be more detailed , i'm a big fan of having detailed diplomacy in a game , maybe this game isn't suited to it , but i would like alot more diplomacy options. From initial impressions it also doesnt look like there will be much diffrence playing as each race , and with only 3 to choose maybe it wont be a game i play for months on end.

I'm new to the game and all my comments are based on having only played it for around 7 hours , bought it around 8pm last night , and kept playing till 4am when i was falling asleep at the keyboard with exhaustion :) . So far a big thumbs up , really enjoying it . Not sure how deep the game is to hold my long term intrest , don't think it will last as long as say civ4 or MTW2 , as i dont see alot of  replayability compared to those games , but who knows i haven't played enough yet to say. Time to stop typing and get back to ruling the galaxy .

19,896 views 10 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

 

The game has lots of replayability, but the replayability comes in the form of online multiplayer--instead of playing against AI--imagine playing against real human opponents, which is quite a challenge.  Also, you can download and add custom maps and mods to the game (but sadly those are rarely played online since the game lacks auto-download for custom content).  Don't be deceived into thinking that you can't play the game in online multiplayer because the games would go on for too long; your average 3v3 or 4v4 game on the large random single star map is normally finished within one-and-a-half hours.  Once a game has been decided the losing team normally quits or surrenders.  One thing that's a little misleading is that there's a button that says "Multiplayer" but it's for setting up LAN games.  To get online you have to click "Ironclad Online" and then set up an account.

 

 

 

 

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

i'll definetly give online play a go after i've played alot more singleplayer . I usually find i don't enjoy RTS games online though , it just becomes too stressful and who can click the quickest , i like to watch the space battles and try things out , not just build the same build que every match and zooming around the map clicking fast . I tend to prefer playing coop or with friends . Who knows maybe this game will be diffrent , i'll certainly give it a go before writing it off.

Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

FINALLY SOMEONE WHO AGREES WITH MY STRESS ISSUES!  \o/ Glad to meet you! Man I got excited when I read that comment. Finally, someone who understands why playing RTS's online can be pretty stressful. :thumbsup:

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting gingerbill, reply 2
i'll definetly give online play a go after i've played alot more singleplayer . I usually find i don't enjoy RTS games online though , it just becomes too stressful and who can click the quickest , i like to watch the space battles and try things out , not just build the same build que every match and zooming around the map clicking fast . I tend to prefer playing coop or with friends . Who knows maybe this game will be diffrent , i'll certainly give it a go before writing it off.
End of gingerbill's quote

I don't think the online multiplayer is a clickfest.  You do need to manage your fleet during important battles, but I don't think it's a clickfest.  It's definitely not about who can click the fastest.

If you're intersted in coming online, I think you'll have a much better experience if you play the single player game for a while before coming online, and, very importantly, get familiar with playing all three races, especially the Advent and Vasari.

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

Hi all,

Ginger: I also prefer co-op play in a game like Sins; feel free to PM me we can see if we can get a game started some time.

You might want to seriously look into 1) updating the game (that does have repercussions you should be clear on!) to 1.095 & 2) making a point of trying to get a few Achievements done every time you play the AI solo. They serve as a kind of 'handicaps' and will make you a versatile (and better) player :)

Good luck,

Lucas aka Sinful

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

RTS games definitely have a certain level of stress involved.  Sins is fairly good AS RTS GAMES GO in that respect because the interaction is more ... indirect.  You are more issuing orders and less micromanaging every unit.  That said, good micro in a big battle can turn the tide of battle.  Making sure.  Volatile nanites, followed up by disintigrations to start the chain reaction going quickly, sear it all in with some AoE and voila!  Ship goulash flambe!  Multiple cap ships tend to have a lot more micro than non cap fleets.  Still, ANY RTS is going to have click stress issues, which means a long game can be a lot less enjoyable for someone who likes to step back and take a breather once in a while.  If you can not quickly and efficiently navigate the interface, these issues will be far worse, so if it is an issue for you, DO play single player for long enough to know the controls like the back of your hand.  It means you can pull back more often for a few moments to flex fingers and brain and refocus.

Edit:Jetheren, I am not referring to you on this.  You seem to have been around long enough to know the interface well.  The advice is more for those who just got the game and have similar issues.

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

Edit:Jetheren, I am not referring to you on this. You seem to have been around long enough to know the interface well. The advice is more for those who just got the game and have similar issues.
End of quote

LOL dude I knew you weren't refering to me and even if you were I woudn't care what-so-ever. That is my flaw when it comes to strategy games online, I want to be able to take breathers every now and then, but I never feel like I can when I'm constantly worrying about the planets on the other side of my empire.

I take criticism very well and I try not to get worked up when people do criticize me, but in any case it was kind of you to point that out.

lol what is ironic is that I'm starting to play SupCom FA online and that is much more stressful than Sins will every be. I'm just shooting myself in the foot.

Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top

I'm just shooting myself in the foot.
End of quote

Can I help? It's quite therapeutic.

Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top

Jetheren I totally agree with you. It is very stressful and thats the main reason I dont play online much. With that said onl;ine is hecka fun. The worst online rts I ever played is c&c generals. Dang that game was stressful. To top it off the game kept track of your wins and losses so there was more stress to win cause if you had alot of losses nobody would ever want to be on your team.

Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Annatar11, reply 8

Can I help? It's quite therapeutic.
End of Annatar11's quote

*Hands Annatar a Revolver* Fire away good buddy!

Quoting WaWKinShadow, reply 9
Jetheren I totally agree with you. It is very stressful and thats the main reason I dont play online much. With that said onl;ine is hecka fun. The worst online rts I ever played is c&c generals. Dang that game was stressful. To top it off the game kept track of your wins and losses so there was more stress to win cause if you had alot of losses nobody would ever want to be on your team.
End of WaWKinShadow's quote

Ouch. Keeping track of win/losses is nice, but it is even better when others can't see them. I hate when people tend to avoid the players with high loss numbers. It is like a group of kids picking teams for a game of soccer, the unathletic kid gets picked last and the team with him/her complains. I think that in the case of gaming the best team should get the weaker player so the good players will have to teach the not so good player how to be good.